Data is overwhelming, which is why so many third-party tracking applications advertise simple solutions to complex problems. Before you invest in the next link tracker, consider the steps you can already take for free with Google Analytics.
Tag Links
Everyone wants to build authoritative links, but as your site's profile expands it becomes difficult to track which of your hard earned links are actually adding to your traffic. Add parameters like:
- utm_campaign=CAMPAIGN_NAME, for example "SEO."
- utm_medium=DELIVERY_METHOD, describe how users found this link, like a "blog_post."
- utm_source=TRAFFIC_SOURCE, list the domain that the link appeared on.
Use effective naming conventions that describe the source of your links, and how your traffic is received. Begin listing parameters with a "?" symbol after your URL, and separate each parameter with an "&" symbol. A sample URL might look like: http://example.com/landing?utm_campaign=SEO&utm_medium=comment&utm_source=Quora"
Use Segments to Save Time
You can click "Advanced Segments" on almost any page with a graph to open a menu full of new parameters to track. Predefined data, like new or returning visits, is readily available, but creating a custom segment is how you really find opportunity. Click "+ New Custom Segment" and make sure to "Include" a segment of your choosing.
If you set up "utm_campaign" per the example above, you could create a segment that tracks "Campaigns" that include "SEO." Filtering for this segment would show traffic that comes from all links tagged for your SEO campaign. You can also apply segments to email campaigns, assuming you tag your links properly.
Create Events
Want to know if your video marketing efforts are paying off? The solution is an event that you can track in Google Analytics. Using events, marketers can track whether a user presses the "play" button on a video, whether the video reaches halfway, and how many users complete the video.
To set up a dynamic event, create a goal, but select "Event" as the goal you want to track. In the "Category" field, define the type of content you're tracking, then define an action like "Play" and label your content further if necessary. Google also allows you to track how much of a video has been completed, so use Events to determine the ideal length for your content.
Test with Analytics Experiments
Google's Website Optimizer is now built into Analytics. Use the Experiment tool to further define the goal of your experiment, like improving the revenue your page earns for you or decreasing the bounce rate of your page. Start by entering the URL of the landing page that you want to test. You will need a page to test with, so try to choose one element that you think will have the biggest impact on traffic (like changing a single word in your headline, moving a signup form up or down, or removing a particular banner ad).
Once you have your test page ready, enter it into your experiment and place the special tracking code onto both pages. Google will proceed to split your traffic in an A/B test, with results that are easy to track from the "Experiments" page under the "Content" heading.
Author Bio
Devin Kostrzewski is an Search Marketing expert and professional in backlink outreach/acquisition. Devin began his career in SEO while in college and now serves as the Director of Accounts at Spread Effect, a leader in the link building industry. Spread Effect helps SEO agencies and in-house marketing teams scale their outreach and publishing campaigns by leveraging their vast publisher database and knowledge of the SEO industry. You can find Devin on twitter @dmak_11.
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